Switch and cut-out for electric light and other electrical devices



(No Model.)

O. S. BUSSMANN.

SWITCH AND CUT-OUT FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL DEVICES.

No. 397,109. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

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UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE..

OSCAR S. IlUSSMi-XNN, OF SOITI'ERVILLIII, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERNSTETN ELECTRIC LIGHT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORT- LAND, MAINE.

SWITCH AND CUT-OUT FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT AND OTHER ELECTRICAL DEVICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 397,109, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed October l2, 1887. Serial No. 252,122. (No model.)

To all zl/'tom't may] concern;

Be it known that I, OscAR S. BUssMANN, oi Hamburg, Germany, but temporarily residing at' Somerville, in the count-y ot Middlesex and 5 State of llilassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Switches and Cut-Outs for Electric Light and Other Electrical Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specifi- Io cation, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct an electric switch and cut-out for incandescent electric lamps, whereby the lamps i 5 may be employed in series in a normallyclosed circuit, and at all times the continuity of the circuit is preserved. i

In accordance with this invention the ends of the filament are electrically connected with 2 o two conductin g-plu gs properly joined together and insulated from each other to form, in connection with one or more yielding contactsprings, a plug-switch. These yielding contact-springs, two being herein shown, are at- 2 5 tached to two posts and adapted to lap over upon each other, or upon each post making a good contact when not moved away by the plug-switch, said posts being attached independently to an insulating base-plate. The 3o line-current passes through said posts and, when the plug-switch is removed, through these yielding` contact-springs; but when the said plugfswitch is placed in position the current ,passes through the two parts ot the plug Thus an automatic switch provided to. preserve the continuity of the circuit when the bulb containing the Iilament is removed. Each ol' said posts is also provided with another yielding contact-spring, 4o each said spring being adapted to touch an integral part of the opposite post to which it is attached, and a rotatable cut-out switch provided having conducting and insulating surfaces which co-operate with these contactsprings, said cut-out switch being of oval shape in cross-section, and when in one position permitting the said contact-springs to remain in Contact, thereby shunting out the plug-switch and its electric connections, and

hen ce maintaining the continuity ol' the circuit, the filament being shunted out. 1When the cut-out switch is in another position, the said contaet-sprin are lifted 'free from contact, thereby opening the shunt and permitting the current to pass through the iilament. By this cut-out switch the lamps may be arranged in series in a normally-closed circuit, and by simply rotating said switch may be cut in or out. To provide against opening the line in case of breakage of any lamp, the said cut-out switch is provided between its conducting-surfaces with a spring-controlled contact-maker normally bearing upon some fusible material of high resist-ance, and when the lamp breaks the line current passes through said resistance, no other path being offered, thereby maintaining the shunt for the lamp, and said resistance, immediately fusing, permits the spring-controlled contactmaker to insure better electric connection between the two conducting-surfaces, thereby more surely preserving the continuity of the line.

Figure -l shows in elevation an incandescent lamp embodying this invention, a rportionv of the inclosing-case being broken away to more fully show the switches and contact-springs; Fig. 2, a vertical section of theparts contained within the lamp-carrying socket, taken on the dotted line o: ai, Fig. 3, looking toward the right; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the parts contained within the lamp-carrying socket,

taken on the dotted line -y y, Fig. 2, looking toward the left; Fig. l, a detail of one of the contact-springs to be referred to; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section ot' the cut-out switch; Fig. 6, a cross-section. of the cut-out switch, taken on the dotted line .2' a, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7, a cross-section of the plug-switch shown in Fig. 3, taken on the dotted line it.

The insulated base a has secured to it an ornamental cap, a', by a flanged tubular nipple, a2, externally screw-threaded to support the lamp. Two conducting posts or standards, ,IJ b', are attached to the insulated baseplate a, to which posts the line is connected. To the outer or lower. end vof .each post b b a contact-spring, c c is attached, which passes around its respective posi', as shown in liig. 7, and laps over upon and touches the contaet-spring ot' the opposite post, or it may be the post itself. The outer end ot' each spring is provided with a piu, i), passes through a hole eut through the post,

ihe said pins terminating in an opening' or space between the two posts. 'lwo plugs, d d', having beveled ends and joined together, but separated by a piece ot insuhiting imiterial, di, are adapted to enier the opening or spaeebei ween the i wo paris, and in t heirniovenient strike the pins 2 ward, as shown in Fig. i), thereby breaking the eouiaei normallymade by ihe springs e e. The ends ot` the tilament ot the lamp are connected with ille said two-part plug-switch d d. 'l`wo contactsprings, e t", are attached, respectively, to the two posts l: o, the outer ends ot' said contact-springs being normally l pressed by springs il against an arm, b", ot',

each posi,or against an integral or other part ot` each post, to thereby make electrical couneciiion, shunting` out the plug-switch and its electric connections.

rl`l1e iosts l il haveo ienines which receive a eut-out switch (seelfigs. 5 and t5) made essentially olil insulating material, preferably oval in cross-section. rlhe eut-out switch consists ot' a handle portion, and a shank composed ot' two pieces of insulating material, 1",having two conducting portions, i? t, placed between them.

the contact-springs e e', and by its oval shape permits the contact-springs to retain their contact and preserve the shunt; but when said plug` is partially rotated the conducting portions are presented io the said eontaet-s1n'i11gs,

and bythe oval shape of the plug they are lifted i'ree from contact, thereby opening the shunt and permitting the current to pass through the plug-switch d d and its electric connections, or, if said plug-switch d d is removed, through the contact-springs c c. lt will thus be seen that normally the line-current passes through the shunt for the filament, and that by simply partially rotating the cut-out switch the shunt is broken and the current passes through the filament, thereby at all times of the closed circuit.

A locking-spring, j", is attached to one of the springs, as e, said spring havingat its end a projection which enters a small recess eut in the shank ot' ihe cut-out swit center it.

lWere it not t'orihe i'aei: that the lamps frequently break, the. construction thus far described would subserve ihe purposes desired, and to provide t'or such accidents and mail tain the continuity ot the line the eut-out switch is soeketed to receive a movable contact-maker, n, normally pressed by a spring, l, against some material, n', of high resistance contained in a socket ot' a plug, n?, screwed into the socket of the switch.

(see Fig. 2,) which and loree them ouilhe plug when in one position presents the insulated portions L" t0 preserving the continu ity ch io thereby '.lhe part n is in electrical contact with the part i?, and the part ng is in electric contact i with the part i, but the resistance sepa-ratl ingl the parts n 11" is so high that the current follows the better path otl'ered, it heilig unj' derstood, of course, that a minimum amount passes through ihe resistance, whieh has no etieet upon it.`

The material n .is easily t'usible or redueible, and when a lamp breaks the only path ott'ered t'or the current is through the said material, and it, t'using or reducing, permits the eoniaet-maker n to make a gootfl contact l with n?, being pressed against it by the L spring l-.

l do not herein broadly claim such spring controlled contact-maker normally resting g against material ot' high resistance, which latier, upon being fused, reduced, or decomposed, permits the coiltact-maker io operate.

It is obvious that only one eoutact-spring, as fn, and one, as e, need necessarily be used, the two boing herein shown t'or safety.

lt is obvious that any other electric device may be controlled bythe switch herein shown without departing irom ihis inventiiim.

l. The posts b il andthe contact-spring at'- taehed to the outer end ot' one otf the said posts and adapted to make contact with the other, as described, combined with the twopart plug-switch d d', adapted io cooperate with the said spring, substantially as del scribed. i 2. The posts l: il and ihe eoni'acts1 n'iugai'- tached to the outer end of one ot said posts and adapted io make contact with the other, g and the two-part plug-switeh d d', combined with another contact-spring attached to one of the said posts and adapted to make contact with ihe other, serving asa shuntt'or the tirst-named contact-spring, and a switch t'or moving said contact-spring to open and close the shunt, substantially as describei'l.

3. "lhe posts Z) L', the contact-spring, as c, having the pin 2 passing' through a hole in the post, as described, combined with the twopart plug d dv, having the beveled end, substantially as described.

i. The posts l) Z1 the arm b", and` the contact;- spring, as e, combined with the rotatable cutout switch having condnctingand insulating parts and a resistant, as n', substantially as and t'or the purposes described.

In an incandescent lamp, the two-partplug-switch, the tilament supported by it, and the trame or holder Vin which' the said plug'- swiiieh is placed, combined with the rotatable cut-out switch i'or the plug-switch, said roiatable eut-out switch having conducting portions separated by a resistance, as n', to opl erate substantially as and lg'or the purpose set; l l'orth.

ti. ln an incandescent lamp, the filament l and the support, combined with the cut-out l switch for the filament, it comprising conducting portions and a material of compara- IOO IIO

tive high resistance, as n, which serves :use tat-able eut-out switch, substantially as de- Io shunt of high resistance for the filament, but scribed.

' through which the Current may pass should In testimony whereof I have signed my the filament be broken or otherwise destroyed, name to this specifica-tion in the presence of thereby at all times maintaining the eontitwo subscribing Witnesses.

nuity of the eireuit in which the lamp is placed, OSCAR S. BUSSMANN. substantially as described. Witnesses:

7. The posts b b', the contact-spring, :is e, BERNICE J. NOYES, and the lookin g-spring, combined with the ro- B. DEWAR. 

